Nitrated non-cyclic N-Alkane scaffolds with differentiated-mean combustive equivalencies as high energy density fuel improvers

ABSTRACT

A non-ring, non-alkene, nitrated n-alkane base scaffold combined with at least one trioxynitrate provides a differentiated-mean combustive performance in a stabilized and sufficiently polar molecule as to be miscible, and thus serve as a high-energy-density component of a fuel additive that, when mixed with existing fuels at appropriate dilution ratios, will impart equivalent combustive efficiency to that of standardized, petroleum distillate, gasoline and diesel in various blends including aviation fuel and heating oil over the full-temperature-range of use; and a specific embodiment of this non-ring, non-alkene nitrated n-alkane base scaffold is described which, when blended with a petroleum diesel, biodiesel, or combination of B-20 standard biodiesel (80% diesel, 20% biodiesel) wherein the additive comprises less than 5% of the total mix, produces at least a 10% or greater combustive energy density as compared to the base fuel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fuel production for internal combustion engines has focused on providingfuels with narrowly-differentiated mean combustive efficiencies; andmore particularly on producing mixtures that use extremely uniformcombustive processes (boiling point) to produce the combustive energy.Each of aviation, gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, marine, and heating fuelsare fractionated into equivalency groups with the combustive meangenerally aiming for a given ‘octane number’ or ‘cetane number’ for allparts of the combustive activity.

On-road and off-road consumption of diesel fuel in the U.S. are eachabout 40 billion gallons a year. Diesel fuel refineries have beenoperating at over ninety percent capacity for the last ten years. TheAmerican Trucking Association states that there are over 10 millionlarge trucks and buses registered in the US, mostly with diesel engines,operated by 750,000 companies. Worldwide diesel fuel demand has beenincreasing at a faster rate than gasoline fuel over the past 5 years,and diesel fuel prices are likely to remain at a premium to gasolinefuel prices as world demand for petroleum-based distillate fuels remainshigh.

The diesel engine was one of the first ‘internal combustion’ engines (asopposed to the external combustion of a steam engine) and was developedat the end of the nineteenth century, when mechanical rather thanelectrical control was both the norm and the limiting factor on enginedesigns. The ‘diesel cycle’ was named after Dr. Rudolph Diesel, who in1898, was granted U.S. Pat. No. 608,845 for an “internal combustionengine”. Diesel engines use compression to ignite their fuel, unlike thegasoline engine's Otto cycle which uses an electrical spark. Dieselengines have the highest thermal efficiency of any internal or externalcombustion engine, because of their compression ratio.

Diesel engines have a number of design considerations that are not asgreat a concern for gasoline engines. These include requiring higherquality metallurgy for a given combustion cylinder volume, due to dieselengines' higher compression values and use of fuel-air injectiontechnologies; experiencing more trouble with cool and cold weatheroperation, particularly starting; and experiencing problems with dieselfuels at only moderately cold or even just cool temperatures (dependingupon the fuel's cloud point).

Diesel fuel is prone to “waxing” or “gelling”—terms for thesolidification of diesel oil into a partially crystalline state—in coldweather. Crystals build up in the fuel line (especially in fuelfilters), eventually starving the engine of fuel and causing it to stoprunning. Due to improvements in fuel technology, particularly the use ofspecial additives, waxing rarely occurs in modern diesel engines even inall but the coldest weather—when a mix of diesel and kerosene isgenerally recommended.

Today's diesel engines and fuels, made respectively by enginemanufacturers and petroleum refining companies, are principally designedto maximize economy in their production and reduce exhaust emissions,the better to meet these large entities' economic interests and theworld's more stringent environmental standards. Virtually all of thesefuels are created by the refiner fixing, for each fuel to be refined andcreated, a single fractionation yield as the primary determinant for agiven mix of crude oil (petroleum) inputs, “by isolating mixtures ofmolecules according to the mixture's boiling point range” (seehttp://www.petrostrategies.org/Learning_Center/Refining.htm). Thesefractions are created by the refiner simplifying the reality ofcontinuous differentiation during processing according to a modelthrough picking a ‘standard’ combustive volatility as the goal, andusing the “stream TBP (True Boiling Point) cut point scheme” in amassive linear-programming production matrix. Blending options areconsidered to be ‘secondary’. Seehttp://www.cheresources.com/refinery_planning_optimization.shtml.Product specifications for most fuels' combustive effect—the mainpurpose and function of the fuel—focus on a single mean value, the “heatof combustion”, which is expressed as the BTU/unit volume; for example,gasoline averages 125,000 BTU/U.S. gallon, methanol averages 64,600BTU/gallon, diesel averages 138,700 BTU/U.S. gallon, and biodieselaverages 126,200 BTU/U.S. gallon. Seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_efficiency#Energy_content_of_fuel.

As a consequence of this (re)design for the refiners' economicefficiency, currently users of diesel engines encounter operatingproblems that were a lesser concern for those making these refinerydesign and operational changes. Today, diesel engines are characterizedby these features and consequences:

High Compression: Hard Starting; Low Sulfur Fuels: Reduced Lubricity andMore Rapidly Eroded Fuel Injectors; and Greater Soot Production: Moreextensive Exhaust control, greater engine wear, and more lubricating oilcontamination.

While today's diesel fuels are characterized by these problems andconsequences:

Inconsistent, varying Power reduced and storage compromised by CetaneNumber: auto-oxidation of the fuel during storage; Wax, Particulate,Fungal & Inconsistent performance & greater wear; Water Contaminants:Freezing at Winter Clogging lines and fouling tanks. Temperatures:

In spite of a sizable production of diesel additives, the users ofdiesel engines continue to bear the brunt of these shortcomings of thedesigns favored by diesel engine and petroleum fuel manufacturers,because there is no single additive or combination of additives that isa comprehensive solution to the problems of the users of diesel engines.

Additionally, alternative production choices—whether from natural gasliquefaction, or coal-to-liquid-fuel “synthetic gas” production (e.g.through the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis approach, seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer-Tropsch_process) are also bound tothe drive towards creating a single mean combustive value by selectingmolecular compositions with that value created through their commonexothermic reactive result.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the production of a fueladditive which combines in one molecule differentiated exothermiccombustive reactions that, when averaged together with lower heat ofcombustion fuels, let the mix match the desired combustive effects ofexisting petroleum-based standard fuels; wherein that molecule is anitrated, non-ring, n-alkane scaffold combining the lower BTU/unit heatof combustion of the n-alkane with a very much higher BTU/unit heat ofcombustion of the nitrate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,975, issued on Aug. 15, 2000 to Marr, W.(hereinafter ‘Marr’), describes in its specification the prior art forthat patent and the field generally. That portion of that patent,“Description of the Prior Art”, is hereby incorporated specifically byreference. It should be noted that all of the prior art cited in thatpatent was for fuel additives whose purposes were entirely secondary toaffecting the mean heat of combustion of the fuels to which they wereadded. Marr also does not attempt to directly affect the mean combustiveefficiency of the fuel; instead his invention's function is describedthusly: “The compositions of the instant invention contain effectivedetergent and dispersant chemicals which reduce the formation of fuelinjector deposits, and help to maintain maximum combustion efficiency.”(Col. 3, lines 8-11.) Walters, U.S. Pat. No. 2,410,846, cited by Marr,was focused on oxidative stability and presumed use of thenow-environmentally-unacceptable gasoline compositions using tetra-alkyllead (Col. 1, lines 1-19); while Denison et al., U.S. Pat. No.2,676,094, also cited by Marr, focused on improving the anti-knocking(pre-ignition combustive stability) aspect of high-octane aviationgasolines (Col. 5, lines 51-58).

Similarly, Krutzch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,905, focused on pollutionparticulate reduction through improving the combustion of soot. (Col. 1,lines 11-12.)

It is known that diesel fuels with a higher cetane rating modify thecombustion process and reduce diesel clatter. Cetane rating is generallymeasured by use of the “Cetane number” or CN; and the CN is ameasurement of the combustion quality of diesel fuel during compressionignition. It is a significant expression of diesel fuel quality among anumber of other measurements that determine overall diesel fuel quality.The CN for a diesel fuel can be raised by distilling higher qualitycrude oil, or by using a cetane-improving additive. Some oil companiesmarket high cetane or premium diesel; see British Petroleum's “BPultimate” referenced at:http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=4005623&contentId=7009145.

Biodiesel has a higher Cetane number than petrodiesel, typically 55CNfor 100% biodiesel (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_engine).Biodiesel dates back to 1900, when at the request of the FrenchGovernment the Otto company demonstrated a diesel engine at the 1900Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) which used peanut oil, as theFrench government was then exploring the possibility of using a locallyproduced fuel in their African colonies. Diesel himself later testedextensively the use of plant oils in his engine and began to activelypromote the use of these fuels. One of the chief problems of biodieselfuels has been their inherently high cloud point, relative topetroleum-derived diesel fuels. Biodiesel's utility has been seen aslimited, as the fuels’ cloud points were so high as to limit their useto the tropics or other hot climates or locations.

The principle limits on the fuels used in diesel engines are the abilityof the fuel to flow along the fuel lines, and the ability of the fuel tolubricate the injector pump and injectors adequately. In general terms,inline mechanical injector pumps tolerate poor-quality or bio-fuelsbetter than distributor-type pumps. Also, generally indirect injectionengines run more satisfactorily on bio-fuels than direct injectionengines. This is partly because an indirect injection engine has a muchgreater ‘swirl’ effect, improving vaporization and combustion of fuel,and also because (in the case of vegetable oil-type fuels) lipiddepositions can condense on the cylinder walls of a direct-injectionengine if combustion temperatures are too low (such as when starting acold engine).

The existing state of the art considers that diesel engines run wellwith a CN ranging from 40 to 55. Fuels with higher Cetane numbers haveshorter ignition delays, and thus provide more time for the fuelcombustion process to be completed. Hence, higher speed diesels operatemore effectively with higher Cetane number fuels—up to a point, in theprior art. There has been and is currently no performance or emissionadvantage perceived when the CN is raised past approximately 55; afterthis point, the fuel's performance was presumed to hit a plateau. InNorth America, diesel at the pump can be found in two CN ranges: 38-42for regular diesel, and 42-45 for premium. Premium diesel may haveadditives to improve CN and lubricity, detergents to clean the fuelinjectors and minimize carbon deposits, water dispersants, and otheradditives depending on geographical and seasonal needs. Dimethyl etheris one additive that both has a high cetane rating (55) and can beproduced as a biofuel; alkyl nitrates (principally 2-ethyl hexylnitrate) and di-tert-butyl peroxide are alternative additives used toraise the Cetane number; biodiesel from vegetable oil sources have beenrecorded as having a Cetane number range of 46 to 52; and animal-fatbased biodiesels' Cetane numbers range from 56 to 60. Seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetane_number.

Cetane (formally Hexadecane), has the chemical formula C16H34 and is oneof the alkanes (the others being Methane (CH4), Ethane (C2H6), Propane(C3H8), Butane (C4H10), Pentane (C5H12), Hexane (C6H14), Heptane(C7H16), Octane (C8H18) Nonane (C9H20), Decane (C10H22), Undecane(C11H24), and Dodecane (C12H26)). Hexadecane, as the formal nameindicates, consists of a chain of 16 carbon atoms with three hydrogenatoms bonded to the two end carbon atoms, and two hydrogens bonded toeach of the 14 other carbon atoms. It has 10,359 constitutional isomers.Cetane, because it is an un-branched, open-chain alkane molecule,ignites very easily under compression, so it was assigned a Cetanenumber of 100, while alpha-methyl napthalene was assigned a cetanenumber of 0. All other hydrocarbons in diesel fuel are indexed to cetaneas to how well they ignite under compression. The CN therefore measureshow quickly a fuel starts to burn (auto-ignites) under diesel engineconditions. Since there are hundreds of components in diesel fuel, witheach having a different cetane quality, the overall Cetane number of thediesel is the average cetane quality of all the components. There isvery little actual cetane in diesel fuel.

BP's “Ultimate Diesel” is advertised as having, “a cetane number of 55minimum, significantly higher than the standard 51 cetane for dieselfuels in this market. This improved cetane quality means that BPUltimate Diesel burns more smoothly and completely than ordinary diesel,so it can help deliver improved performance and better fuel economy, andreduce exhaust emissions and engine noise.” (BP Web Cite supra.)

There have been considerable efforts to find fuel additives for gasolineengines and other efforts to find fuel additives for diesel engines.Known additives include:

-   -   Ether and other flammable hydrocarbons, which have been used        extensively as starting fluid for many difficult-to-start        engines, especially diesel engines;    -   Nitrous oxide, which is an oxidizer used in auto racing;    -   Nitromethane, or “nitro,” which is a high-performance racing        fuel;    -   Acetone, which is a vaporization additive mainly used with        methanol racing fuel to improve vaporization at start up;    -   Butyl rubber (as polyisobutylene succinimide) which is a        detergent to prevent fouling of diesel fuel injectors;    -   Ferox, which is a catalyst additive that increases fuel economy,        cleans engines, lowers emission of pollutants, and prolongs        engine life;    -   Oxyhydrogen, which is used to inject hydrogen and oxygen into        engines as a supplemental fuel to improve fuel efficiency;    -   Ferrous picrate, which improves combustion and increases fuel        mileage;    -   Silicone, which is an anti-foaming agent for diesel, but may        damage oxygen sensors in gasoline engines; and,    -   Tetranitromethane, which can increase the cetane number of        diesel fuel, thereby improving its combustion properties.

Because of the different operating principles, additives that functionwell for gasoline may or may not perform with the same qualitativeadvantage(s) with diesel (either fuels or engines). Also, because of thegelling problem identified above, diesel fuels generally come and areused in two broad classes, Diesel 1 for warmer operating conditions andDiesel 2 for colder operating conditions.

An alternative approach to increasing the cetane number for diesel fuelswas disclosed a quarter-century ago in Hinkamp, U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,903,wherein a “diesel fuel selected from the group consisting of liquidhydrocarbons of the diesel boiling range, alcohols and mixtures thereof”was combined with “a cetane increasing amount of a primary nitrate esterhaving the structure

wherein R′ is an alkyl group containing 1-20 carbon atoms, R″ isselected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl groupscontaining 1-20 carbon atoms and n is an integer from 1 to 4.” (Col. 1,line 56-Col. 2, line 2.) All of the “nitro-substituted primary n esters”in Hinkamp are NO₂-based or dioxynitrates (Col. 2, lines 3-27). Hinkamp,however, limited the range of the dioxynitrate (NO₂) additive to 0.5-25%by weight (Col. 2, lines 63-68); and even more specifically limited therange for petroleum-derived diesel fuels to 0.01-5% weight (Col. 3,lines 16-17). Within two months a second patent issued to Thomas, U.S.Pat. No. 4,420,311, issued which taught the use of cyclododecyl nitrateto increase the cetane number for diesel fuels like those referenced inHinkamp. (Col. 1, line 35 to Col. 2, line 4.) Thomas also focused on adioxynitrate (NO₂) based additive, and cited the same range by weight(Col. 2, lines 37-42; 58-62) found in Hinkamp. Both of these patentswere assigned to the Ethyl Corporation; though Thomas failed to mentionHinkamp's prior work.

More recently, the concept of using alkanes for a diesel fuel cetanenumber increaser was taught in Waller et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,030.That patent combined a dialkoxy alkane (DAAK) with “moderate amounts ofdimethoxy propane (DMPP) and dimethoxy ethane (DMET) blended into aconventional diesel fuel.” (Col. 2, lines 32-34.) This patentspecifically mentions the unexpected synergism as the cetane numberincrease of the combination in the additive is such that “thispercentage increase is much greater than the sum of the parts increasesthat could be expected”. (Col. 3, lines 51-53.)

An unasked question in all of the above is whether there might be analternative means to improving a fuel's most basic function—efficientcombustion. Would it be possible to increase not just the “cetanenumber” but the energy density of a fuel, by creating a molecularscaffold with the right set of additive compounds such that thedifferentiated BTU/unit weight effectiveness of the exothermic reactionsof the parts of the molecule, when that molecule is part of an additive,could equal or even improve upon the mean BTU/unit weight energyproduction of petroleum-distillate fractionations? Or evenlow-energy-density simple alcohols? If instead of aiming for as uniforma “heat of combustion” for a given combustive efficiency for a fuel,whether measured by Cetane Number or Octane Number, instead adifferentiated-mean “heat of combustion” improver to upgrade theresulting fuel's energy-equivalent-density were sought?

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide amulti-functional, high-energy-density fuel additive (hereinafter HEDFA)which by combining differentiated, yet stable combustive processes, canbe added to existing lower-energy-density fuels in proportion to meetdesired combustive efficiency.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a single fueladditive to diesel fuel that completes the diesel fuel purchased fromvarious sources so that it is compatible with diesel engines whether inservice on-road or off-road, whether used in automobile, rail and marineenvironments, or whether used in heating and power generation servicesfor residential and commercial use.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a fueladditive that when used with one part of additive to one thousand partsof diesel fuel, the Cetane Number of the new combination is increased bya minimum of four units (e.g. 40-44 or 42-46).

It is still further an object of the present invention to produce a fueladditive that when mixed with a diesel fuel as heating oil, will changethe engine exhaust smoke from black to white and decrease the noiselevel of the engine.

It is another and further object of the present invention to produce afuel additive that sufficiently enhances the cold weathercharacteristics of Diesel 1 fuel so that it performs equal to or better,at cold temperatures, than Diesel 2 fuel, so that the problemsassociated with seasonable change of fuels are eliminated.

It is still a further objective of the present invention to produce afuel additive that will reduce the cloud point of biodiesel from palm,soy and other feedstock, to equal or exceed the cloud point ofcrude-oil-based diesel fuel.

It is still another object of the present invention to produce a fueladditive that will sufficiently retard the ignition and improve thespray pattern of the fuel in a diesel engine so that ignition for thecylinder occurs on the power stroke to improve the power derived fromthe fuel that translates into a minimum increase in miles per gallon, often percent, and a reduction in the exhaust pollutants, of twenty-onepercent.

It is still another object of the present invention to produce a fueladditive that supplements the lubricity and detergent cleaning of dieselfuel so as to clean, protect and maintain the spray pattern of the fuelinjector system and the mechanical component thereof, thus increasingengine life and reducing engine maintenance needs.

It is still a further object of the present invention to produce a fueladditive that treats the fuel storage and pumping system so as toeliminate condensate water in tanks that cause corrosion and requiredmaintenance, retards chemical oxidation that deactivates the fuel duringstorage, and reduces gelling that clogs fuel line and fuel pumps,reducing the operating costs for the diesel engine.

It is still another object of the present invention to produce a fueladditive that will increase the intervals between oil drains, fuelinjection systems component replacement, cleaning fuel storage and feedsystem and rebuilding engines.

It is still another object of the present invention to produce a fueladditive whose principal material contains an energy density between 20and 50 times that of petroleum distillate diesel fuel.

It is still another object of the present invention to produce the highenergy component principal material in the fuel additive when blendedwith methanol of ethanol at a concentration of 5% or less will producean energy density equal to the energy density of petroleum distillatediesel of gasoline fuels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention employs a novel and non-obvious combination ofelements to create a multi-functional, high-energy-density fuel additive(HEDFA) which provides such a higher energy density per unit of theadditive that a single quart of the HEDFA when combined with two hundredand fifty gallons of a base fuel (e.g. diesel or heating) will increasethe combustive efficiency of the desired blended fuel by at least 10%.This HEDFA is the “keystone” between diesel engines and diesel fuel, anddelivers benefits of up to 15% more mileage, 21% less exhaust emissions,longer interval between oil drains and engine overhauls, improvements infuel injection and engine ignition points, and decreased maintenance offuel pumping and storage systems. While other additives only provide one“piece-of the-puzzle”, the present invention is the only additive adiesel engine owner will ever need to make any diesel premium.

By combining differentiated combustive efficiencies, the first beingthat of an stabilizing, non-cyclic and non-aromatic alkane scaffolding,and the second being that of an attached trioxynitrate (NO₃), and makingthis trioxynitrated n-alkane (xTONnA) the plurality (at least 40%)ingredient of the HEDFA, this invention creates a HEDFA so comprisedhaving both a mean-value “heat of combustion” and a BTU/unit volumeenergy density sufficient to improve the combustive efficiency, andthereby the Cetane or Octane Number and performance of a fuel asdesired, by mixing therewith in appropriate ratio. For example, byattaching NO₃ to a linear saturated, non-cyclic or non-ring hydrocarbonthat can be polymerized from methane, ethane or propane gas, we startfrom an n-alkane scaffold which on its own comprises a fuel with a highflash point (165° F.) but with lower BTU/unit weight combustiveefficiencies than standard diesel or gasoline; to this alkane scaffoldfuel we then attach at least one and no more than three NO₃ groups. Witha single NO₃ group attached a resulting multi-functional fuel additiveis produced that has 1.7-2.0 million BTU per pound (vs Diesel at 17,500BTU per pound), when the xTONnA is present at fifty percent by volume inthe HEDFA. A second NO₃ will mean 2.0-4 million BTU per pound, and athird NO₃ will mean 4-6 million BTU per pound.

The present invention's fuel additive to diesel provides benefits todiesel engine performance of the following:

-   -   Maximum combustion efficiency;    -   4 Numbers Plus Cetane number improver;    -   Ash reducer or even ashless;    -   Pour point decreased to 35-40° F. below zero;    -   Algaecide;    -   Increased fuel stability;    -   Superior corrosion protection;    -   Eliminate ring seizures;    -   Improved oxidation;    -   Improved crankcase cleanliness;    -   Exhaust emissions reductions of:        -   NOx;        -   Raw hydrocarbon of 10.2%; and        -   38% soot reduction, Lucas CAV 6 hour test;    -   Alcohol free;    -   Flash point ASTM D93 of 85° F.;    -   Increased lubricity—Shell four-ball wear test 30% increase;    -   Decreased coefficient of friction—Shell four-ball wear test 45%        decrease;    -   Anti-sludge performance—Sundstrand pump test rated: Good;    -   Increased miles per gallon by 8 to 15%; and,    -   Longer filter and pump life.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a drawing of the chemical bonds and structure of the xTONnAalkane, x-TriOxyNitro-n-Alkane, defined below as any non-cyclic andnon-aromatic, non-alkene, linear or saturated hydrocarbon of the formulaC_(n)H_(2n+2) base scaffolding to which at least one trioxynitrate (NO₃)is attached.

FIG. 2 is a graph of the composition in the preferred embodiment as itwas analyzed by a Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrograph, using TIC:9016002.D\data.ms, with time forming the horizontal and abundance thevertical axes respectively, showing the preferred embodiment'scomposition is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with considerableoverlap between a number of compounds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A multi-functional combustively dense, or high-energy-density fueladditive (HEDFA), which in the preferred embodiment is to be mixed witha ratio of one part of fuel additive to 1,000 parts of fuel, but whichcan be mixed in a range between one part of additive to 5,000 parts ofbase fuel, to one part of additive to 50 parts of base fuel to create adesired blended fuel, is comprised of one or more members of a molecularfamily having an n-alkane base scaffolding to which at least onetrioxynitrate (NO₃) is attached (xTONnA, for x-TriOxyNitro-n-Alkane),which in the preferred embodiment is 2-Ethylhexyl nitrate, having thefollowing basic structure:

and the molecular linear formula CH₃(CH₂)(C₂H₅)CH₂ONO₂, though then-alkane itself can be any non-cyclic and non-aromatic, non-alkene,linear or saturated hydrocarbon of the formula C_(n)H_(2n+2); with saidmolecules comprising at least the plurality of the additive. Theseformulations produce the unexpected result of creating a fuel additivethat even at one part per thousand mixed with a fuel that has a lowerenergy density than premium diesel has the following 10 benefits:cleaning ejector ports; retarding pre-stroke combustion; boosting cetanenumber; enabling low-temperature operation; retarding auto-oxidation ofstored fuel; removing water condensate; inhibiting corrosion; acting asan algaecide; reducing smoke/emissions; and providing an MPG increase;which occurs through the combination of the stable boiling feature ofthe n-alkane base scaffolding with an otherwise unstable and dangerousdensity of combustive energy from the 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate or othertrioxynitrate group. When mixed in proportions ten times greater thanpreviously stated in the prior art in the additive mix, thishigh-energy-density fuel additive more than compensates for the relativeenergy-deficits of and allows fuels such as the simple alcohols(methanol, etc.), or biodiesel, to be used in engines, diesel orgasoline, because it completes the alcohol or the biodiesel to make atremendously valuable synthetic fuel.

The n-alkane base scaffolding is chosen as it provides a lower end ofcombustive efficiency through the combustive effect of the carbon bondtransformations. The attached trioxynitrate provides a tremendouslyhigher combustive efficiency through the combustive effect of thenitrogen bond transformations. One of the unexpected aspects of thepresent invention is that deliberate use of only non-alkene, non-ring,non-aromatic alkanes, provides sufficient stabilization to thetrioxynitrate so that the combined molecule's boiling point is near thatof the n-alkane base scaffolding and the stabilization is sufficient topermit the use in an internal combustion engine, rather than producing adetonation as happens with ring compounds such as trinitrotoluene.

A second unexpected aspect of the present invention is that thedifference between the ionic nature of the n-alkane base scaffolding'sH₃C and NO₃ sub-attachments produces a molecule which is sufficientpolar to be miscible in either simple (non-isomeric) alcohols such asmethanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol, or standard dieselhydrocarbons without precipitating in the diesel hydrocarbons, and thusbecomes suitable for use as a fuel additive in combustion engines usingthese fuels.

A third unexpected aspect of the present invention is that the use of amuch higher total proportion of the differentiated combustiveefficiency, high-energy-density additive as part of the total additivepackage, provides a stable combustive efficiency that enables blendingwith a fuel to effect a correction of the combustive deficit of theresult that makes the synthesized combination as effective or moreeffective than petroleum distillate premium diesels or even aviationgasolines.

If prepared for petroleum-distillate based fuel blending, the HEDFA willhave a composition in the following range:

Concentration Component Volume, % CAS Number 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate 40-6027247-96-7 Petroleum Distillates 25-30 mixture 1,2,4-Trimethyl-benzene3-7 95-20-3 Long Chain Alkyl Amide 3-7 e,g, Oronite ODA 78012(proprietary to Chevron) m-Cresol 3-7 108-39-4 Xylenol 3-7 1300-71-6p-Cresol 5-6 106-44-5 Vinyl Acetate 5-6 108-05-4 Ethyl Phenols 2-525429-37-2.

According to the invention, the stated objectives are achieved by meansof adding, in the ratio of one part of the fuel additive to one thousandparts of diesel fuel with an average Cetane number of 38-55, acomposition providing a combustive efficiency improvement, saidcomposition in one embodiment of the present invention being:

if prepared for a Non p-Cresol (CAS 108-05-4) formulation:

Component Name % by Weight CAS Ethylhexyl Nitrate 40-60  27247-96-7Solvent Naphtha, Petroleum, 5-15 64742-94-5 Heavy Arom. Ethylene GlycolMonobutyl 5-15 111-76-2 Ether Solvent Naphtha, Petroleum, <5 64742-95-6Light Arom. 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene <5 95-63-6 Naphthalene <2 91-20-3Xylene <0.5 1330-20-7 Ethylbenzene <0.1 100-41-4;

and for an alternative, preferred embodiment formulation:

Concentration Component Name Volume (%) CAS Number 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate50 27247-96-7 Petroleum Distillates 18.4 mixture 1,2,4-Trimethyl-benzene5 95-20-3 Long Chain Alkyl Amide 5 e,g, Oronite ODA 78012 (proprietaryto Chevron) m-Cresol 5 108-39-4 Xylenol 5 1300-71-6 p-Cresol 4 106-44-5Vinyl Acetate 4 108-05-4 Ethyl Phenols 3.6 25429-37-2.

In all of the above embodiments the 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate (which provides50% of the combustive efficiency and Cetane Number improver in thepreferred embodiment) is of the form shown in FIG. 1 above, has thelinear formula of CH₃(CH₂)3CH(C₂H₅)CH₂ONO₂, the molecular weight of175.23, the CAS Number of 27247-96-7, the EC Number of 248-363-6, theMDL number of MFCD00011582 and is also identified as PubChem SubstanceID: 24857676. This component costs ten times per unit weight as much asdiesel fuel to produce, but provides over ten times that again (125) inBTU per unit weight the thermal energy in use.

An alternative formulation replaces the 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate, andcomprises:

Component Concentration Volume, % 2-methyl-2nitro-1-propanol nitrate40-60; Petroleum Distillates 25-30; 1,2,4-Trimethyl-benzene 3-7; LongChain Alkyl Amide 3-7; m-Cresol 3-7; Xylenol 3-7; p-Cresol 5-6; VinylAcetate 5-6; and, Ethyl Phenols 2-5.

A sample of the composition in the preferred embodiment is alsodescribed as it was analyzed by Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrograph withthe result shown in Figure Two. The composition is a complex mixture ofhydrocarbons with considerable overlap between a number of compounds, ascan be seen from the figure. There are many aromatic compounds foundincluding xylenes, trimethyl benzenes, tetramethyl benzene, pentamethylbenzene along with various ethyl, propyl, and butyl substitutions aswell. There were also a number of phenols including di- and trimethylphenols with various substitution patterns, methyl ethyl phenol andpropyl phenol. Several heptenes are also identified, with the doublebond at the 1,2 and 3 positions and possibly cis- and trans-isomers. Wealso find 2-nitropropane, pentanal, 2-ethylhexanal, 2-ethylhexanol,3-methylacetophenone, indane, methyl indane, and naphthalene. Many ofthe library search hits that were not very good are not reported. Therewas also found a peak for nitrous oxide; however, as this has a simplemass spectrum it could be mistaken. Additional work could possiblyresolve some of the overlapping compositive results, but it wouldrequire reconfiguring the mass spectrometer.

It is possible, due to the increased energy density provided by thetrioxygenated nitro group portion of the xTONnA, to uselower-energy-density n-alkanes, including the simple alcohols, yetproduce a HEDFA which not only makes up for the n-alkane portion butalso the energy deficit of the base fuel to which the HEDFA is added tocreate a final desired blended fuel with energy densities equal to orgreater than premium diesel. For example, it is possible to use as thebase scaffolding n-alkane any combination of n-alkane-based,water-soluble simple alcohols having no more than two isomers, that is,any combination of methanol, ethanol, proponol, and butanol (includingpure methanol, pure ethanol, pure proponol, pure butanol, or anycombinatory mix thereof) and, by incorporating the trioxynitrategroup(s) and altering the proportion of the xTONnA to the other elementsof the additive, increase the combustive energy of the final blendedfuel.

This is particularly attractive as the HEDFA can be manufactured fromgases of geological or biomass origin (natural gas, bio-methane, plantalcohols, etc.) and not from crude oil or petroleum distillates. Such amixture can even meet current standards and limitations on biodiesel,when the HEDFA is manufactured wherein the xTONnA is methanol; and thedesired blend can further comprise up to 20% by volume biodiesel, <5% byvolume HEDFA, and the remainder diesel.

Alternatively, and more attractively, the approach should use an ‘energyequivalence’ replacement process, such that the blend of additive,diesel, and biodiesel is such that up to 50% of the BTU/unit volume isprovide by the HEDFA; and the balance of the BTU/unit volume is providedby the diesel or biodiesel.

Method for Determining Volume of High-Energy-Density Additive Required

One liter of ethanol, methanol and gasoline contains 21.1 MJ, 15.8 MJand 32.6 MJ, respectively. Therefore on a volumetric basis, 1.6 litersof ethanol and 2.1 liters of methanol are needed to supply the samecombustive energy as 1 liter of gasoline. The relative energy efficiencyof ethanol is thus (1.0/1.6=0.625), or 62.5% of gasoline.

If prepared for use as an trioxynitrated n-alkane-based fuel additive asin the present invention's preferred embodiment, methanol, which has aBTU/unit ration of 47,742, and the trioxynitrated n-alkane-based fueladditive are mixed in the appropriate ratio to a desired (high)combustive efficiency and CN for diesel fuel. This works out to 0.86ounces of the trioxynitrated n-alkane-based fuel additive to 127.14ounces of methanol, assuming a 50% proportion of 2-ethyhexyl nitrate inthe additive. The calculation method used is as follows:

Diesel's combustive efficiency is rated at 138,700 BTUs per gallon,while methanol rates at the much lower value of 47,742 BTUs per gallon.If the Goal Energy Density (GED) is that of a diesel, then methanol'sCombustive Energy Deficit (CED) is 90,958 BTUs per gallon(138,700−47,742). The preferred embodiment's HEDFA has an energy densityof 13,477,777 BTU/oz. Thus, methanol's CED can be made up by using 0.86ounces of the preferred embodiment trioxynitrated n-alkane-based fueladditive; (90,958 BTUs/(13,477,777 BTUs/128 ounces per gallon)). Forother alkanes, a like ‘BTU make up’ calculation gives the mixing ratio.

The method for producing the desired fuel energy density for any fuelper unit volume is:

State the Goal Energy Density (GED) per a first unit volume (vol_(a)) orCED_(vola).

Calculate the Combustive Energy Deficit (CED) of the first unit volumefor the Initial Fuel Stock (IFS), by multiplying the Energy Density (ED)for the IFS for the first unit volume and subtracting that from the GED.(The unit volume subscript is suppressed as it is the same for all threeelements of the equation.)

CED=GED−ED_(IFS)   EQ. 1

Calculate the Added Energy Density (AED) of the trioxynitratedn-alkane-based fuel additive for the same first unit volume; this mayrequire converting across units of measurement (as in ounces, vol_(b)for gallons, vol_(a)):

AED÷vol_(a)=(HED÷vol_(b))*(vol_(b)÷vol_(a))   EQ. 2

For most purposes, a simple first approximation replacement is used,replacing on a per-unit basis an amount of the first unit volume,low-energy-density Initial Fuel Stock, with the same first unit volumeHEDFA. Bounded calculus and other standard mathematical transformationsfor the recursive substitutions are well known in the prior art tosmooth out the regression of substitution.

The extension to include a differential within the volume of thetrioxynitrated n-alkane-based fuel additive between thehigh-energy-density compositive proportion and the other-functionalcompositive proportions is also asserted as a further embodiment of thismethod, since the energy densities of various xTONnAs can be varied. Forexample, the trioxynitrated n-alkane-based HEDFA of the preferredembodiment provides 97 times as much energy per unit volume as dieselwhen the xTONnA component is only 50% of the entirety of the fueladditive and a singly-trioxynitrated n-alkane. By changing theproportion of the HEDFA that is the xTONnA, or by increasing the numberof trioxynitrate groups, the same volume can provide even more energydensity and thus change the proportionate replacements required; thus,modifying the proportion of the xTONnA and of other components of theHEDFA to increase the energy density of the HEDFA will reduce theproportionate amount of the HEDFA required to make up the CED per unitvolume a.

In yet another alternative, the additive is used in a blend of dieselthat is to be 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel. (These values are chosebecause these are the ‘B-20’ standard, towards which the US is moving.)This embodiment will use the alternative fuel to be no more than 5% ofthe total diesel, which is the limit to the amount of an additive beforedisclosure is required. In another embodiment the biodiesel is asynthetic bio blend up to 50% of the BTU/unit volume is provide by theHEDFA and the balance of the BTU/unit volume is provided by the dieselor biodiesel.

In yet another alternative the additive is used in the manufacturingprocess whereby the original biodiesel is prepared, in which Biodieselis defined by ASTM D 6751, which limits the residual methanol content tobe called biodiesel, or by an external governmental standard (e.g. theEU specifies methanol content to be less than 0.2% or 2,000 ppm.). Inthese formulations the selection, blending, and concentration of alkanesdepends upon the desired combustion efficiency of the targeted finalbiodiesel and the limitations imposed upon percentage of sub-compositionwhich the additive must not exceed; since, however, the additive can beeffective in as great a dilution as 1 part in 5,000, it can meet eventhe strict EU limitation.

Other materials can be substituted for the 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate,including Rthyl Corporations mono-nitro and di-nitro compounds,peroxides, nitrates, nitrosocarbamates and assets of cyclodecyl nitratesand aliphatic hydrocarbyl nitro nitrates. But in the present inventionthe material used combine the performance benefits of increased energydensity as well as elevating the Cetane number of the fuel.

The present embodiment using 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate at a concentration of40 to 60% is a main contributor to the 97 times increase in energydensity over diesel. The present invention calls for implementationthrough mono-nitro, di-nitro and tri-nitro compounds attached to analkane scaffold to make liquid fuels with extraordinarily high energydensities, avoiding the problems arising from a ring compound scaffold,where the attachment of multiple nitro compounds produces explosivessuch as TNT. Attaching one nitro group to an alkane scaffold willproduce a fuel (speaking in exothermic reactive terms, not ‘in engine’terms) that has approximately 100 times the energy density of gasolinewhen the 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate is, as in the preferred embodiment, byvolume 50% of the additive. Attaching two nitro groups to an alkanescaffold will, or is expected, to produce a fuel that has approximately200 times the energy density of gasoline; and attaching three nitrogroups to an alkane scaffold will or is expected to produce a fuel thathas approximately 300 times the energy density of gasoline.

The preferred form of the two-nitrate group or di-nitro n-alkane is:2-methyl-2nitro-1-propanol nitrate. An alternative means to reach ornearly reach the 200 times energy density is to increase the proportionof the 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate to 100%, or as close as can be done whilekeeping other functional elements of this additive.

Blending such fuels so manufactured with methanol and biodiesel willproduce low cost synthetic and bio-based alternative fuels that can bemade from US feed stocks of the non-petrochemical origins to thegreatest extent possible, serving the national goal of energyindependence.

It can be seen to one skilled in the art that this invention makesproducible a completed diesel fuel for diesel engines used in trucks,buses, train engines, off-road vehicles, heavy fueled aircraft,generators and furnaces, comprising as the base combustive energy mean,that blending of petroleum distillates selected from the groupconsisting of hydrocarbon distillates having a boiling point between 150degrees C. (302 degrees F.) and 280 degrees C (716 degrees F.) that areselected; and, an additive mixture wherein the largest component is aenergy-dense material that also serves as a Cetane Number improver thathas a boiling point in the range of the diesel that is a mono-, di- ortri-trioxynitrated alkane consisting respectively of one, two or threenitro groups attached to a base n-alkane scaffold molecule (CH₂)_(n)where n is 2-20 and the trioxynitrate groups are either directlyattached to the Alkane or attached via a branch (CH₂)_(n,o,p) where n is2-20, o is not equal to n, and p is not equal to either n or o.

The detailing of the other components of the HEDFA for other functionalpurposes, such as additive elements for lubricity, anti-corrosion,antifungal, or other uses, as is known in the prior art, is disclosedtherein and in the cited prior art forming a part of this application.

One skilled in the art of fuel additives is capable of taking theinformation provided and not only producing the fuel additive of thepresent invention but also understanding how logical extension bysubstituting other materials in the manufacture to obtain other finalproducts that differ from this embodiment of the fuel additive that fallwithin the teaching of the present invention as to the resulting fueladditive that produces the favorable results claimed herein.

1. A multi-functional, high-energy-density fuel additive (HEDFA) to bemixed with a base fuel in a ratio ranging between one part of additiveto 5,000 parts of base fuel, to one part of additive to 50 parts of basefuel to create a desired blended fuel, said HEDFA comprising: at least aplurality by volume of a trioxynitrated n-alkane (xTONnA) for increasingthe energy density of the base fuel, said xTONnA comprising: a basescaffolding n-alkane being any non-cyclic and non-aromatic andnon-alkene hydrocarbon of the formula C_(n)H_(2n+2) which has a BTU/unitenergy density as a linear function of the number of carbons and lessthan the base fuel; and, at least one trioxynitrate group (NO₃) attachedto the base scaffolding n-alkane; and, such additional componentsincorporating functional purposes other than increasing the energydensity of the base fuel as desired according to the prior art; whereinthe differentiated-mean combustive equivalencies and BTU/unit densityvalues of the exothermic reactions of the base scaffolding n-alkane andthe trioxynitrate group in combined combustion are sufficient to raisethe energy density and improve performance of the base fuel as desiredby mixing the HEDFA with the base fuel at the ratio producing thedesired blended fuel's energy density.
 2. A HEDFA as in claim 1 whereinonly one trioxynitrate group (NO₃) is attached to the base scaffoldingn-alkane, limiting the combustive equivalency of the HEDFA to 1.7 to 2.0million BTU per pound when the xTONnA is present at fifty percent byvolume in the HEDFA.
 3. A HEDFA as in claim 2 wherein the basescaffolding n-alkane to which at least one trioxynitrate is attached isthe single largest ingredient in the HEDFA with the molecular linearformula CH₃(CH₂)(C₂H₅)CH₂ONO₂.
 4. A HEDFA as in claim 2 wherein thexTONnA is 2-Ethylhexyl nitrate and comprises at least 40% of the HEDFAby volume, and the HEDFA comprises less than 0.4% by-volume of thedesired blended fuel.
 5. A HEDFA as in claim 1 wherein the xTONnA is2-Methyl-2 nitro-1-propanol nitrate and comprises at least 40% of theHEDFA by volume.
 6. A HEDFA as in claim 1 wherein two trioxynitrategroups are attached to the base scaffolding n-alkane, limiting thecombustive equivalency of the HEDFA to between 1.7 million and 4 millionBTU per pound when said xTONnA is present at fifty percent by volume inthe HEDFA.
 7. A HEDFA as in claim 6 further comprising: ComponentConcentration Volume, % 2-methyl-2nitro-1-propanol nitrate 40-60;Petroleum Distillates 25-30; 1,2,4-Trimethyl-benzene 3-7; Long ChainAlkyl Amide 3-7; m-Cresol 3-7; Xylenol 3-7; p-Cresol 5-6; Vinyl Acetate5-6; and, Ethyl Phenols 2-5.


8. A HEDFA as in claim 1 wherein three trioxynitrate groups are attachedto the base scaffolding n-alkane, delimiting the additive's combustiveequivalency to between 4 million and 6 million BTU per pound when saidxTONnA is present at fifty percent by volume in the HEDFA.
 9. A HEDFA asin claim 8 further comprising at least one trioxynitrate group forming ahigh energy component, wherein the high energy component has an energydensity measured in BTU per pound ranging from one half million to amaximum of ten million.
 10. A HEDFA as in claim 1 wherein the xTONnA issufficiently polar as to be miscible in either simple (non-isomeric)alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol, or standarddiesel hydrocarbons without precipitating in the diesel hydrocarbons.11. A HEDFA as in claim 1 wherein the base scaffolding n-alkane furthercomprises: any combination of n-alkane-based, water-soluble simplealcohols having no more than two isomers, that is, any combination ofmethanol, ethanol, proponol, and butanol; and, is manufactured fromgases of geological or biomass origin and not from crude oil orpetroleum distillates.
 12. A HEDFA as in claim 11 wherein the alcohol ismethanol and it as well as the mixture of components is manufacturedfrom gases of geological or biomass origin and not from crude oil originand not from petroleum distillate origin.
 13. A HEDFA as in claim 1 usedin a blend of diesel and biodiesel, said blend further comprising: up to20% by volume biodiesel; <5% by volume multi-functional,high-energy-density fuel additive; and, the remainder diesel.
 14. AHEDFA as in claim 1 used in a blend of diesel and biodiesel, said blendcomprising that mixture wherein: up to 50% of the BTU/unit volume isprovide by the HEDFA; and, the balance of the BTU/unit volume isprovided by the diesel or biodiesel.
 15. A multi-functional,high-energy-density fuel additive known as HEDFA prepared forpetroleum-distillate base fuel blending in a ratio ranging between onepart of additive to 5,000 parts of petroleum-distillate base fuel, toone part of additive to 50 parts of petroleum-distillate base fuel, tocreate a desired blended fuel, said HEDFA having a composition in thefollowing range: Component Concentration Volume, % 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate40-60; Petroleum Distillates 25-30; 1,2,4-Trimethyl-benzene 3-7; LongChain Alkyl Amide 3-7; m-Cresol 3-7; Xylenol 3-7; p-Cresol 5-6; VinylAcetate 5-6; and, Ethyl Phenols 2-5.


16. A HEDFA as in claim 15 prepared for blending with apetroleum-distillate base diesel fuel with an average Cetane number of38-55 to provide an improvement of at least 4 Cetane Numbers, said HEDFAcomprising: Component Name Concentration Volume(%) 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate50;  Petroleum Distillates  18.4; 1,2,4-Trimethyl-benzene 5; Long ChainAlkyl Amide 5; m-Cresol 5; Xylenol 5; p-Cresol 4; Vinyl Acetate 4; and,Ethyl Phenols   3.6.


17. A multi-functional, high-energy-density fuel additive known as HEDFAprepared for blending with a petroleum-distillate base diesel fuel withan average Cetane number of 38-55 to provide an improvement of at least4 Cetane Numbers once blended, with said composition being for a Nonp-Cresol formulation and comprising: Component Name % by WeightEthylhexyl Nitrate 40-60%  Solvent Naphtha, Petroleum, 5-15% Heavy Arom.Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether 5-15% Solvent Naphtha, Petroleum, <5%Light Arom. 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene <5% Naphthalene <2% Xylene <0.5%;and, Ethylbenzene <0.1%.   


18. A method for preparing from an initial fuel stock that has aparticular energy density, and a multi-functional, high-energy-densityfuel additive (HEDFA) comprising a base scaffolding n-alkane and atleast one trioxynitrate attached thereto (xTONnA) with a proportion ofother components, a final blended fuel for a goal energy density (GED)and combustive efficiency, said method comprising: setting the goalenergy density per unit volume a (‘GED/vol_(a)’) for the final blendedfuel; calculating the combustive energy deficit per unit volume a(‘CED’) of the initial fuel stock by subtracting from the GED theparticular energy density of the initial fuel stock per vol_(a); and,dividing the CED by the HEDFA; to produce the proportionate amount ofthe multi-functional fuel additive that; when substituted for the samevolume of initial fuel stock, will make up the GED per unit volume a.19. A method as in claim 18, wherein the initial fuel stock is anymixture of methanol and ethanol derived from renewable or natural gassources, the final proportionate amount of HEDFA is limited to less than2 ounces by volume per gallon, wherein the volume required decreases asthe number of nitro group attached to the alkane scaffold increases, andadditional additives are contain in the mixture to improve lubricity,inhibit corrosion and other additives to form a fuel for gasoline ordiesel engines or a combustion furnace.
 20. A method in claim 19 wherethe principal component of the HEDFA is 2-Ethylhexyl nitrate.
 21. Amethod in claim 19 where the principal component of the HEDFA is2-Methyl-2 nitro-1-propanol nitrate.
 22. A method in claim 19 where theprincipal component of the HEDFA is an alkane scaffold containing threenitro groups.
 23. A method as in claim 18, further comprising a step ofmodifying the proportion of the xTONnA and of other components of theHEDFA to increase the energy density of the HEDFA and thus reduce theproportionate amount of the HEDFA required to make up the CED per unitvolume a.
 24. A completed diesel fuel for diesel engines used in trucks,buses, train engines, off-road vehicles, heavy fueled aircraft,generators and furnaces, further comprising: as the base combustiveenergy mean, that blending of petroleum distillates selected from thegroup consisting of hydrocarbon distillates having a boiling pointbetween 150 degrees C. (302 degrees F.) and 280 degrees C. (716 degreesF.) that are selected; and, an additive mixture wherein the largestcomponent is a energy-dense material that also serves as a Cetane Numberimprover that has a boiling point in the range of the diesel that is amono-, di- or tri-trioxynitrated alkane consisting respectively of one,two or three nitro groups attached to a base n-alkane scaffold molecule(CH₂), where n is 2-20 and the trioxynitrate groups are either directlyattached to the Alkane or attached via a branch (CH₂)_(n,o,p) where n is2-20, o is not equal to n, and p is not equal to either n or o.
 25. Aclass of molecular combinations that are sufficient stable to be used asfuels for combustion in engines or furnaces having a non-alkene,non-ring, non-aromatic n-alkane as base scaffolding and a minimum of oneand a maximum of three trioxynitrate (xTONnA), wherein the non-alkene,non-ring, non-aromatic n-alkane base scaffolding contains only stablesaturated bonds that do not detonate during combustion as is the casewhen trinitrotoluene combusts.